Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Laurelton QBPL

On a rainy day I headed to southeast Queens, had a delicious Jamaican lunch (jerk chicken, though with a sweet sauce; sweet was a surprise, and a bit much), then went to the Laurelton branch of the Queens Borough Public Library.

Built in 1953, it stands on a side street, just south of Merrick Boulevard. That was 66 years ago, a long time back. Surely the community could use a new library. WHy there isn't one is a question I can not answer.


Inside. it is bright, a large, open room with a couple of subdivisions. It seemed well used. A librarian and a clerk were talking to each other, and theirs were the loudest voices in the room.


I sat for a good half hour and leafed through a couple of print newspapers, rare as that is these digital days, while outside waves of rain fell. I could hear the rain hitting the windows. It was quite very pleasant to sit in the dry indoors and read.

Libraries remain oases.